Renewable Energy
September 25, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Smarter Grids, Smarter Cities and Common-Sense Planning
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008Many solutions to the world’s problems take nothing more than a common-sense approach. No one pretends that the environmental and social challenges ahead will be easy to solve, but sometimes the solutions simply require a different way of thinking. This week, we’ve got more interviews from the Cleantech Forum in Washington, DC on some of those common-sense solutions.
We’ll look at the evolution of electricity demand response with EnerNOC CEO Timothy Healy. There are certainly many technological hurdles in front of the development of a smart grid, but the concept of better electricity management is an easy one for utilities and their customers to understand. Healy will describe how the U.S. smart-grid market may grow and EnerNoc’s role in that growth.
We’ll talk about the aggressive carbon reduction goals of Stockholm, Sweden with the city’s CEO Irene Svenonius. She’ll describe the role of government and individuals in making common-sense choices to create an environmentally-friendly, economically-vibrant community.
Then we’ll explore the future role of cities in creating a more sustainable world with Chris Luebkeman, Director of Global Foresight and Innovation at the engineering firm Arup. He’ll talk about the importance of looking at sustainability through more than just an economic lens.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
September 18, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Cleantech Forum: An Insider’s Look at Cleantech Investing
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008This week, we’re podcasting to you from the Cleantech Forum in Washington, DC. This forum is a gathering place for early-stage investors who are pouring capital into renewable energy, smart-grid technologies and advanced materials. We’ll talk with some analysts and investors who will give us an inside look at the evolution and current status of the market.
Brian Fan, Senior Director of Research at the Cleantech Network, talks about what makes a sustainable cleantech company and lays out where most investments have taking place so far in 2008.
Scott MacDonald, a Partner with Emerald Technology Ventures, tells us about the history of the sector and about how venture capitalists strategically space their investments in this very capital-intensive industry.
Scott Faris, CEO of Planar Energy Devices, describes his company’s new solid-state lithium-ion battery and talks about how he’s using his experience in the venture capital space to grow his company during its early stages.
Finally, Ted Howes, leader of the Business and Sustainability Program at IDEO, gives us the broader perspective on what all the growth in the cleantech space means for corporations and their customers.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
September 11, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Energy Equity: Diversifying the Market with New Incentives
Thursday, September 11th, 2008The U.S. renewable energy market is growing at an impressive rate. But as more wind, solar and biofuel facilities get developed, there are fewer people or organizations that own those facilities. That is primarily due to the exclusive nature of the federal tax credits. Because of the shrinking diversity in the marketplace, a growing number of people are calling for changes to U.S. renewable energy incentives. In this podcast, we explore the issues with the federal tax credits as they relate to ownership of renewable energy systems.
John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance talks about the problems with “diseconomies of scale” in the U.S. wind and solar markets; Wind Expert Paul Gipe describes the ideal incentive framework to diversify energy equity; Dan Juhl, CEO of Juhl Wind, gives us an idea of how small-wind developers navigate the tax credit environment; and Lisa Daniels, Founder of the educational organization Windustry, talks about Minnesota’s commitment to community wind.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
September 4, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Crunch Time for Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008Congress comes back to Washington next week and in the tradition of election-year politics, there’s a good chance that much won’t get done before November. That means there are very few chances left to extend the Production and Investment Tax credits before they expire at the end of the year. This week, our Washington Analyst Scott Sklar updates us on the tax credit situation and gives us his take on the presidential candidates.
Then, we’ll finish up our California ballot initiative series by looking at the arguments in support of Proposition 10. There’s a growing debate about whether or not the measure will favor natural gas vehicles over other battery-based options. Proposition 10 supporter Patrick Dorinson tells us why the initiative will benefit all forms of transportation in the state.
Finally, we’ll have a look at what the city of Greensburg, Kansas is doing to rebuild in a sustainable way. Greensburg was devastated in May of 2007 when a Tornado ripped through the city, demolishing 95% of the buildings. Contributor Mark Braly talks with Tim Schmidt, CEO of Xtreme Homes, a company working to bring green modular homes and a sustainable employment base to Greensburg.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
August 28, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Questioning America’s Most Ambitious Renewable Energy Law
Thursday, August 28th, 2008This November, Californians will be voting on a ballot initiative that could require the state’s utilities to generate half their power from renewables by 2025. Sounds good, right? Not according to some of nation’s most influential renewable energy companies, associations and advocacy groups. This group of opponents says the legal language of the proposed law is so flawed, it could severely hurt the state’s renewable energy market.
Proponents say the legal language is tight and that opponents are being controlled by the state’s utilities, which don’t want to meet the targets. As the voting day approaches, the debate over the language in the initiative is heating up and both sides are pushing their messages aggressively. We’ll have a feature report on the different interpretations of the proposed law and its potential impact on the industry.
Also, we’ll explore the reasons for China’s emergence as one of the top renewable energy markets for investors. Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at the advisory firm Ernst and Young, joins us to discuss the promise of China and the difficulties for renewables in the UK.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
August 21, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Pickens’ Plan and California’s Proposition 10; Auctioning Environmental Commodities
Thursday, August 21st, 2008T. Boone Pickens has a plan — but is it the correct plan for the nation? This November, Californians will have the opportunity to vote on an initiative that could be the first step down Pickens’ path toward greater reliance on natural gas for transportation fuel. But this week’s guest says that the initiative, known as Proposition 10, is flawed and could negatively impact renewable energy in California.
We’ll speak with Tony Rubenstein, a Los Angeles-based consultant on clean technologies and corporate social responsibility, about why Proposition 10 is not good for the state’s budget or its burgeoning renewable energy market.
Then we’ll talk to Phil Adams, CEO of World Energy, about the role of online auctioning of allowances in greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs. He’ll tell us why he believes the auctioning platform allows for more efficient and transparent transactions over bid-ask exchanges and broker-based models.
Finally, correspondent Mark Braly has some interviews on the promotion of mustard-seed biodiesel for city and regional vehicle fleets in California.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
August 14, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Keeping the Industry in Check
Thursday, August 14th, 2008With all the money from investors, attention from the mainstream media and interest from consumers pouring into clean technologies, the situation is looking good for renewable energy. But as the financial opportunities grow, so too does the potential to oversell the benefits of some technologies. In this podcast, we’ll explore some problems that over-exuberance and lack of quality information can create for the industry.
Sue Kateley of the California Solar Energy Industries Association, tells us about some sketchy solar companies in the Golden State.
Small-Wind Expert Mick Sagrillo talks about the sham companies that have emerged over the years in the residential wind market.
Brad Smith of Renewzle.com explains the need for online intermediary companies in the solar space to give consumers a simplified and trustworthy experience.
Dr. Barry Butler of Butler Sun Solutions warns about the potential for overstating the abilities of Dish/Stirling Systems, potentially creating negative perceptions about the promising technology.
Finally, independent environmental reporter Peter Fairley gives us his take on the role of journalism in this increasingly popular-yet-complex energy landscape.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
August 7, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Debating the Brazilian Ethanol Tariff; The Weak Dollar and Foreign Investment
Thursday, August 7th, 2008As American politicians try to prove to their constituents that they are addressing high gasoline prices this summer, the debate over increasing Brazilian ethanol imports has gotten more traction in Washington. The Brazilians say that lifting the 54-cent tariff on imported ethanol will help bring down the price of all ethanol, thus bringing down the price of gasoline. The domestic ethanol industry says there’s already an oversupply of renewable fuels and that more imported ethanol from Brazil will oversaturate the market. In this podcast, we’ll address some of the arguments for and against lifting the tariff on Brazilian sugarcane ethanol.
We’ll talk with Joel Velasco, chief U.S. representative of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association about why he believes more Brazilian ethanol will be good for both U.S. ethanol producers and American consumers.
Then, we’ll speak with Nathan Schock, director of public relations at POET, the nation’s largest ethanol producer. He’ll talk about why more imported ethanol may flood the market and make it more difficult for cellulosic ethanol to compete down the road.
Also in the podcast: Jay Tannon, partner at the law firm DLA Piper, will talk about the impact that the low dollar is having on foreign direct investment in the U.S. and around the world.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
July 31, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Big Developments for U.S. Wind; Enhancing Grid Communication
Monday, July 28th, 2008The last few weeks have been full of positive news for the U.S. wind industry. Former oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens has thrown his support behind a 20% wind penetration target for the U.S. in the next 10 years; former Vice President Al Gore has made wind the centerpiece of his 10-year 100% renewable electricity goal for the U.S.; and the U.S. just passed Germany as the leader in electricity generated from wind.
In this program, we’ll talk with Randy Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, about these developments and what they mean for the U.S. wind industry.
Also in the podcast: Prakash Chakravarthi, CEO of the smart metering company Eka Systems, talks about the technological requirements for creating a more dynamic next-generation grid.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
July 24, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Web 2.0: Connecting the Renewable Energy Community
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008The renewable energy industry is leading one of the most important technological shifts in the history of mankind. In many ways the distributed, democratic nature of the envisioned renewable energy infrastructure mimics the internet; however, many businesses within the industry still have not figured out how to effectively use the internet to market their products, craft their message and build their brand.
In this podcast, we’re talking with some innovative companies and individuals about “Web 2.0” concepts and how they’re using open-intelligence platforms, social networking sites and new media to create new business opportunities and spread the message about renewable energy.
JP Ross of Sungevity.com talks about how the company’s online-only sales model will drive down the installed cost of solar.
Chris Beekhuis of Fat Spaniel Technologies tells us how the company’s new open-intelligence data monitoring system will help bring renewables to the masses.
Deep Patel of GoGreenSolar.com discusses the importance of blogging and describes how to make business contacts on social networking sites.
Joel Bush of RenewablePost.com talks about the best way for companies to approach the multi-media environment enabled by the web.
And Joel Makower of Greener World Media tells us about how the evolution of social networking and new media will make for better business networking.
Also, thanks very much to Kamla Bhatt and WediaBuzz for the audio clips of Tim O’Reilly talking about Web 2.0 concepts.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.
July 17, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Global Green Job Growth; PPAs Enabling U.S. Community Wind
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008There are now 2.3 million people working directly or indirectly in the renewable energy industries around the world, according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute. As job growth in this sector continues, the fossil energy industries are seeing a decline in jobs, despite an increase in production.
In this program, we’ll speak with Worldwatch’s Michael Renner about where the most jobs are being created, why the fossil energy industries are seeing a decline in jobs, and what exactly people mean when they talk about green collar jobs.
Also in the podcast: How one North Dakota college is trying to meet the demand for wind power in the state. Doug Darling of Lake Region State College tells us about the school’s planned wind technician program and why wind jobs are so important for the community.
Finally, MMA Renewable Ventures recently entered the wind market by agreeing to finance, own and operate a 10-megawatt wind farm in Oregon. The deal will help landowners there develop the project and eventually own it. MMA’s Moira Geraghty tells us why the deal is so important for community wind projects in the U.S.
Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.